Philadelphia Vireo
Vireo philadelphicus
Small, short-tailed, most similar to Warbling Vireo, but brighter: look for yellow wash on underparts, brightest on throat and undertail, and dark line through the eye that connects to base of bill. Dull individuals can be very difficult to distinguish from Warbling Vireo, but Warbling usually brightest yellow on flanks, not throat. Similar to Red-eyed Vireo but with shorter bill and yellower below. Breeds in deciduous forests, especially areas with younger trees including birches or aspens. Migrates through a variety of wooded and brushy habitats; winters in Central America. Song nearly identical to Red-eyed Vireo. Feeds on insects; especially caterpillars.
Identification
Adults are mainly olive-brown on the upperparts with yellow underparts; they have dark eyes and a grey crown. They have no wing bars and no eye ring. There is a dark line through the eyes and a white stripe just over them. They have thick blue-grey legs and a stout bill. The Philadelphia vireo is similar in appearance to the warbling vireo, but can be reliably distinguished by having much yellower underparts, and dark lores.[citation needed]
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Vireo philadelphicus
- Authority
- (Cassin, 1851)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Vireonidae
- Genus
- Vireo
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- NA : c, s Canada to nc, ne USA
- Non-breeding range
- MA, nw SA
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Their breeding habitat is the edges of deciduous and mixed woods across Canada. They make a basket-shaped cup nest in a fork of a tree branch, usually placed relatively high. The female lays 3 to 5 lightly spotted white eggs. Incubation, by both parents, lasts up to 14 days.<p>These birds migrate to Mexico and Central America. This vireo is a very rare vagrant to western Europe. They are unlikely to visit Philadelphia, except in migration.<p>They forage for insects in trees, sometimes hovering or flying to catch insects in flight. They also eat berries, especially before migration.<p>The songs and calls of Philadelphia vireo are three to five notes, weeezh weeezh weeezh, very similar to those of the red-eyed vireo,but with slightly longer pauses between phrases and higher notes.
Conservation
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Large, unmistakable woodpecker. Mostly black, with red crest and bold white stripes on head and neck. Flies with deep, rowing wingbeats, almost like a crow but more irregular; also look for mostly white underwings and white patches on upperwing. Pairs inhabit mature deciduous or coniferous forests with large trees. Makes large oval-shaped holes in decaying trees to search for insects. Listen for slow resonant drumming and loud clucking calls. Occasionally visits feeders in appropriate habitat, especially fond of suet.
Black-breasted Munia
Lonchura teerinki
A small bird of mid-montane grasslands in western New Guinea. Black face and chest, brown upperparts, yellow rump and tail, yellow sides and white belly bordered with a black line, and a thick, silver-blue bill. Usually seen in small flocks. May have a slight altitudinal overlap with Snow Mountain, but Black-breasted Munia is normally lower and has a black chest. Call, a squealing “week!” repeated constantly.
Berylline Hummingbird
Saucerottia beryllina
Medium-sized hummingbird, usually fairly common in foothills. Favors oak woodlands, adjacent brushy thickets, and shade-coffee plantations, in both drier and more humid situations. Feeds at all levels and often rather aggressively chases off most other hummingbirds. Note the bright rusty wing patch and rusty tail (which often has purple and bronze highlights). Lower bill is red, but is often hard to see. Sexes similar, but female has duller, less buffy belly; birds from Chiapas south have a green belly.
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